How To Perform Monkey (named after Hanuman) Pose?

The monkey pose involves a long extension of the legs and is very good for stretching the muscles around the thighs and the pelvic region. The position is a right and left position so it can be repeated with either leg forward or backward.

You can begin the pose by kneeling down with both the knees next to each other. The right leg is then extended forward so that the foot is placed on the floor about 12 to 14 inches ahead of its original position. The pressure of the body should be applied to the outside of the right foot. Lean forward so that the hands are touching the floor.

Gradually one can extend the left leg backwards. During this part of the pose, the right foot is flat on the floor and the left foot is standing on its toes. As the position extends, the left foot reverses so that the weight is on the top of the foot and the right foot transfers weight onto the heels. The back should now be straightened with the arms to the side of the hips.

Keep extending the position until you have reached your limit. The complete position is when both legs are flat on the floor with the right heel on the floor and the top of the left foot on the floor. This is a full extension. The torso should be upright and the hands with palms clasped together pointing to the ceiling. It is important that both legs are pointing in opposite directions. The back leg typically points off at an angle to the front leg, but on should correct this and make sure that the back leg is pointing directly back.

It is possible to lose balance in this position and roll over to either side. Using concentration and deep breathing one should try and avoid losing balance. When the stretch is complete, hold it for half a minute before gradually reversing the steps to return to the kneeling position. Because this pose stretches the legs to their extreme, it is necessary to be careful not to overstretch which can cause pain or cramping.

Finally, one can repeat the pose using the left leg as the forward leg and extending the right leg backwards. If there is an imbalance between the stretching ability of the right and left leg, one can concentrate on the weaker leg until it stretches as freely as the other leg.

Submitted by A on July 2, 2010 at 02:23

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